Can cover clincher



Oct. 16, 1951 J M. DODGE 2,571,691

' CAN COVER CLINCHER I Filed Aug. 19, 1947 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVIAIIIIVENTOR. M52101! 1.. D65

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN COVER CLINCHERMertonL. Dodge, Seattle, Wash.

Application August 19, 1947, Serial No. 769,385 2 Claims. (01. 81 1s)This invention relates to can cover clinching tools and it has referencemore particularly to a hand operated cover clinching tool, designedespecially for use in home canning operations and manually operable toloosely secure the covers in place on the cans, thus to retain thecontents in the can while being heated or exhausted prior to the finaldouble seaming operation and processing, and to facilitate handling ofthe cans.

For a better understanding of the present invention, it will beexplained that tin cans are now quite extensively used for home canningoperations and that such cans are sealed by the double seaming of theends or covers to the can bodies. Since the products that are canned aremost generally heated to approximately boiling point (212 F.) prior tothe double seaming of the end or cover to the can body, it is quiteadvantageous and is practical, as is well understood in the art, thatthe covers be placed on the cans and loosely clinched thereto to retainthe contents in the cans during the exhausting operation, but permittingsteam and air escapement.

Many home canners have small hand operated double seamers and sometimesuse the double seamer itself as the means for loosely clinching thecover flange over the can body flange, but this operation is rather slowand impractical for various reasons. Spot clinching that is done bytool, in their relationship and in the mode of use of the tool, as willhereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objectsof the invention,I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinmeans of tools or machines not especially designed for this purpose,usually deforms the cover flange so that effective double seaming is notinsured.

In view of the above and for various other reasons, it has been theprincipal object of this invention to provide .a hand-operated can coverclincher of pliers type, and of such design that a short portion of thecan cover flange may be curled thereby beneath the body flange to anexact amount, thus, at that point, to secure the cover loosely in place.Furthermore, it is essential to do this without causing any abruptident, irregularity or any undesirable deformation that will causedifliculty in double seaming, or in any wayimpair the integrity of thesealed connection.

More specifically stated, the object of the present invention is toprovide a hand operated can cover clincher, comprising a tool of plierstype having one jaw equipped with a chuck for ehgaging against thecounter-sink wall of the can cover and the otherjaw being'equipped witha die -opposedly related to the chuck to eng g the Fig. 1 is a top Viewof a can with cover applied thereto and showing .a cover clinching tool,embodied by the present invention, as applied to the cover in .a flangeclinching operation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional detail of portions of the can body andcover as assembled prior to clinching, and indicating the application ofthe chuck and clincher die of the present tool thereto Fig. 3 is asimilar view, showing the cover flange as being clinched beneath the canbody flange by the closing together of the jaw portions of the tool.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing a completed clinch and illustratingthe engagement of the inwardly curled edge of the cover flange with thebody flange to, limit the extent to which the cover may lift from thecan.

Fig. 5 is an underside View of the jaw portions of the present clinchingtool, showing the relationship and shape of the coacting portions of thechuck and clincher die, as applied to the jaws of the tool.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, l0designates the cylindrical body wall of a typical tin can, and I2designates the out-turned peripheral flange at the upper end of the canbody over which the end or cover is applied and to which its flange isjoined in the double seam to seal the can. The can cover is designatedby numeral 13 and this is shown as being formed with a counter-sinkhaving a cylindrical wall portion 14 that fits closely within the upperend of the cylindrical can body and from which counter-sink wall aflange l5 extends horizontally and outwardly to overlie the body flange12. Before clinching and before double seaming, the flange l extendssubstantially beyond the periphery of the body flange, as shown in Fig.2, and has a peripheral, downwardly and slightly inwardly curled lip 11.

The purpose of the present tool is to curl a short segment of the lipportion I! of the cover flange beneath the body flange l2 so that thecover cannot, at that point, he lifted out of the can body, but at thesame time will provide for a certain amount of lift that will allowsteam and air to escape from the can during the preliminary processingof the cans contents prior to double seaming.

In its present preferred form of construction, the clinching tool i madein pliers form as seen in Fig. 1 in that it comprises two crossed handlevers 2B and 2|, formed with circular and rather extended bearingportions, as at 22 in Figs. 1 and 5, that are engaged concentrically andflatly together, and are pivotally joined at their centers by a stud orrivet 24. The levers extend, at one side of the pivot, as handleportions 20 and 2! and at the other side of the pivot terminate in flatjaw portions 25 and 26, which lie in the same Diane and are formed withstraight adjacent edges 2? and 28 that may be closed flatly together,thus to limit the extent of closing and incidentally to definitely limitthe extent of the inward curling of the cover flange segment in aclinching operation, as will presently be explained.

adapted, when the jaws are opened apart, to be applied to the cover toreceive a portion of its flange [5 between them for a clinchingoperation as has been illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is an important detail that the chuck 33 is formed at that side whichfaces the block M,

with a radially curved or arcuate side surface 32, shown best in Fig. 5.When the tool is applied to the can cover. the bottom surface of thechuck engages against the cover, as in Fig. 3, and the curved surface 32will engage against the counter-sink wall I4. ture of the chuck surface32 is made equal to or slightly less than the radius of curvature of thecounter-sink wall of cans of smaller size, so that the tool can be usedwith cans of a range of sizes.

The lower edge or corner of the chuck 3| should be so curved that itwill fit snugly in the bend where the counter-sink wall l4 joins withthe body portion of the cover.

That side surface of the die 3! that is directly opposed to the curvedside surface 32 of the chuck is straight; this surface being designatedat 34 and is best shown in Fig. 5. When the jaws 2526 are opened apartand the device applied 'to a can cover for a flanging operation, the

straight side 34 of the die should engage tangentially with the lip ofthe cover midway of its ends, and the tool will assume a relationship tothe can substantially as seen in Fig. l.

The straight side surface 34 of the die is formed, from end to end, at aproper level to receive the lip edge of the cover flange, with alongitudinal groove 40, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This groove is solocated as to receive the downwardly curled lip portion ll of. the w fThe radius of curvaflange therein when the jaws are clamped against thecover for a clinching operation and is so shaped that with the closingtogether of the jaws of the tool, the engaged segment of the cover willbe curled inwardly and upwardly so that it assumes a final positionsubstantially as illustrated in Figs. 3 or 4. The clinch is so formedthat the cover will be permitted to lift slightly. for example, as fromthe position in Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4, for the escape ofsteam and air from the can during a pre-heating operation.

The extent to which a clinch is formed is definitely limited by theclosing together of the adjacent edge surfaces 21-28 of the jaws 25 and26; it being understood that the chuck 3B and die 3| are so located onthese jaws that when the edge portions of the jaws are brought flatlytogether, the clinch would be completed to the desired, exact amount.

Another important feature of this invention resides in the fact that thestraight edge 34 of the die 3| is of such length that it will extend tothe full length of the chord that defines the segment of the flange thatis curled by the clinching tool. Therefore no dent, shoulder or bendwill be formed by or at the ends of the die that would cause a roll ofthe double seamer to bump or jump in the double seaming operation. Theouter surface of the clinch will be perfectly straight, as seen at 45 inFig. 1.

With the can cover seated in the end of the can body as seen in Fig. 2,the manner of using the tool is merely to open the jaws of the clinchertool apart and apply the chuck and die portions 30 and 3| to theselected portion of the cover flange, as in Fig. 2 and then clamp themtogether. In this clamping operation, the chuck seats against thecounter-sink wall I4 and the periphery of the cover flange will bereceived in the die groove 40. With the closing together of the jaws,the engaged segment of the flange will be inwardly and upwardly curledto the form shown in Fig. 3, and is stopped by the closing together ofthe jaws, as in Fig. 1. The cover may be lifted out of its seat to theposition shown in Fig. 4, by the expanding air or steam in the canduring heating. Clinches so formed at three equally spaced locationsabout the periphery of a can cover are sufficient to hold the cover inplace but may be made at more or less places as desired.

Such tools may be made in various designs other than that illustrated,and may be of various materials and in various sizes without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

The gist of the invention resides in the details of the chuck and dieand in the securing of these parts to the jaws in such relationship toeach other and to the edges of the jaws that a clinch of a definiteamount will be formed with the closing of the jaws together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool of the character described comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected levers providing handle portions and jaw portions, said jawportions having forming blocks projecting from corresponding side facesthereof; said blocks having opposedly related work engaging facesextending in the general longitudinal direction of the tool; one of thework engaging faces being straight and having a groove therein extendingin the longitudinal direction of the tool, and the other when of saidwork engaging faces being arcuate and extending in the general directionof the tool, and curved between its ends toward the straight face. a

2. A tool of the character described comprising a pair of leverspivotally connected intermediate their ends to form jaw portions andhandle portions; said jaw portions having opposing flat faces andforming blocks projecting from corresponding sides of the jaws; saidblocks having opposing work engaging faces which extend in a generallongitudinal direction of the tool and spaced from each other when thejaws are closed, one of the work engaging faces being straight andhaving a groove therein extending in the longitudinal direction of thetool and the other work engaging face being arcuate and extending in thelongitudinal direction of the tool.

MERTON L. DODGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS m Number Name Date 319,775 Barney June 9, 1885604,079 Record 'May 17, 1898 763,937 Truesdale June 28, 1904 1,118,871Leonard Nov. 24, 1914 1,747,440 Hulbert Feb. 18, 1930 2,350,057 MartinMay 30, 1944

